Five frames per second, photo-centric design: touch shutter button in Play mode and camera returns to Record mode

Compatible with all Canon EOS system lenses as well as new EF-S with a focal length multiplier of 1.6

Multiple improvements and enhancements throughout the camera

Smart design and attention to the most important aspect of a digital camera--the images--has made for an excellent photography tool. Now that we've seen a production model of the EOS-20D, it's clear that our early enthusiasm was well-founded. The camera performs superbly in every respect. Color is accurate, image noise very low, resolution excellent, and the camera is very responsive, both to the shutter button, and from shot to shot. Particularly impressive is the extent to which Canon managed to decrease high-ISO image noise, while at the same time going to a sensor layout with physically smaller pixels. Canon has had over a year since their EOS-10D was announced to talk to photographers about what the next mainstream pro digicam should be, and it's clear from the 20D that they listened. In all respects, Canon has really outdone themselves, offering a camera that not only captures excellent images, but which provides photographers with unprecedented levels of control in an extremely easy interface. Expected upgraders will be D30, D60, and 10D owners. Digital Rebel owners wanting a little more control will also want to give the 20D a look. Just in case you didn't already guess, the Canon EOS 20D is *highly* recommended!

Great Camera! It is particularly nice when coupled with the Canon 580-EX Speedlite flash unit.

Very fast and responsive! Turn on time, and time to switch between photo review and photo taking is rarely even noticeable. After using slower digicams, this camera is a joy to use. Only time a delay is particularly noticeable is when using autofocus or flash in low light. With a Speedlite you can take pictures in total darkness, but autofocus does add a delay then. With a fast memory card, reviewing photos is pleasantly fast. You can move through photos almost as quickly as you can push the buttons.

Images look Really nice. The main exception is when you use ISO's 800 or above. Then the digital noise starts to creep in. How bad this looks depends on your subject matter.

My one complaint is that when shooting in fully automatic mode, the camera seems to default to ISO 400. For many images this is fine. But an image that has a large area of one color will show some color noise at ISO 400. In bright daylight, it would be nice if it used a lower ISO. The camera will not go to a lower ISO until it is at f/14 and 1/500sec. I would prefer the lower ISO with a wider aperture.

To get the most out of this camera, you need to learn how to effectively use some of the manual controls. But most things on the camera are very easy to set and use and very logical.

kankushok

Registered: January 2007Posts: 3

Canon EOS 20D review by kankushok

Review Date: 1/15/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 10

Pros:

Fast, good IQ

Cons:

big, heavy

It has phenomenal low light performance and fast AF. It's construction is also solid. However, being a beginner, and the first time using this camera, the controls were hard to figure out compared to my FZ-30. The sample I had was also defective and took blank frames when using the onboard flash.

thf

Registered: January 2007Posts: 8

Canon EOS 20D review by thf

Review Date: 1/15/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $1,400.00| Rating: 10

Pros:

Image quality, responsiveness, build quality

Cons:

Loud shutter, morror lockup hidden in menus

I bought this camera in 2004 and have taken well over 20.000 pictures with it. Brilliant camera!

If I had to improve on it, I'd like to see:

- quieter shutter
- easily accessible mirror lockup
- ISO treated as a parameter like shutter speed and aperture
- DOP like on EOS 50E
- sensor dust cleaning system (have to do it manually from time to time...)

tdotduffman

Registered: November 2006Posts: 10

Canon EOS 20D review by tdotduffman

Review Date: 1/15/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 10

Pros:

Fast settings adjustment, good burst rate (5 fps)

Cons:

small LCD, shutter durability

The cons I listed are quite minor, and are said only in light of the 30D. One can get by with a 1.8" LCD for checking composition, and shutters will wear out eventually anyway.

I very much like the ability to hold a clearly labeled button, spin and wheel, and have the adjustment set; rather than press a button, wait a split second for the menu to appear, and turn the dial to select, as one does on the XT or XTi. Granted, the 20D's system isn't much faster, but sometimes that bit of quickness can make the shot if the settings are wrong when you turn it on.

All in all, though, I chose the XT over this 20D because I planned to carry the camera system on my shoulder all day, every day. What I've gained in portability I've hardly missed in shutter lag, continuous shooting rate, and setting adjust.

Finally I suggest getting the 30D over this, if only for the liberating feel of a 2.5" LCD; it's not that much more expensive.

element66

Registered: January 2007Posts: 6

Canon EOS 20D review by element66

Review Date: 1/14/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $1,300.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Cons:

I bought this in 2005 as an upgrade to my Rebel. It has excellent IQ. Noise level are extremely low, even ISO 3200 is very usable. It took excellent pics on my 3 weeks trip to Europe. As with all SLR, be very careful when you take off the lens and not let anything inside the camera body. I had a lot of retouching after a couple specks of dust got on the sensor. Too bad they didn't have the dust removal system like the xti has. The LCD is a bit small and is only OK viewing in the sunlight. The viewing angle is also a little narrow. The 1.6x crop factor limits the amount of wide angle lens you can use. Batery life is very good. Burst rate very fast, but the shutter is a bit loud. Auto White balance can be better. It might be a little heavy for some, but I didn't mind it. It feels solid and fits in my hand perfectly. As I am writing this, a lot of the cons had been addressed by Canon in their newer models. The 20D was and still is an excellent camera in today's standard.

John H Maw

Registered: November 2006Posts: 15

Canon EOS 20D review by John H Maw

Review Date: 1/14/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 9

Pros:

Very capable, very compact

Cons:

Hidden mirror lockup

Still a very good camera even if some features seem to come up a little short against newer opposition. It is solidly built, the controls are well laid out. It is quite compact and not too heavy. Mine is now a backup for my 5D, but has the advantage where frame rate (5fps against 3fps for the 5D) is an issue, or where a cropped frame camera is better (shots of the moon with my Sigma 50-500, where it acts as an 800 on the 20D). The other issue is the common Canon problem of hiding mirror lock-up in the menus. Shame.

thomiz

Registered: January 2007Posts: 16

Canon EOS 20D review by thomiz

Review Date: 1/10/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 8

Pros:

Good build, high quality, nice IQ

Cons:

Not up to current competition regarding weather sealing etc

Wery nice camera, the first to offer the same specs as my early F90x/N90x but with much better AF. 5fps, decent veiwfinder, smallish LCD, but adequate for checking exposure. The most important controls is always at your fingertips, except the MLU which is in the menu, I also miss the spot meter sometimes (but not often).

The camera is currently eclipsed by the 30D, D200 and K10D, but it still delivers outstanding IQ in my opinion. I have no problems making A3+ size prints from this 8MP RAW output. I also always shoot RAW, that means that the buffer is only 6 frames long but I seldom shoot much action anyway, and only on a few occasions (during 2 years) have this been a problem. At the current used price you can have this camera for, it is a bargain.

mxwphoto

Registered: December 2006Posts: 12

Canon EOS 20D review by mxwphoto

Review Date: 1/2/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $1,200.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Features, Intuitive interface, scroll wheel!

Cons:

Lack weathersealing, bigger viewfinder would be better

I bought this camera as a kit and an upgrade from the XT. It LOADS more rugged than the XT and has enough features for most situations. The interface is very intuitive, which is something that I've loved ever since I first held it. The scroll wheel makes this camera stand out from its competitors and is almost as good as the invention of the click-wheel. The grip could have more contours to mold your fingers into it, but I find the overall design more than enough to comfortably hold for hours at a time. Unlike the XT, the magnesium body, though looking somewhat plastic-like at first glance, is very sturdy and a lot more scratch resistant. In fact, there's not a single scratch on it yet after over a year of use. 20D has a pentaprism vs the penta mirrors in the XT, but since the viewfinder is small, improvements are minimal. I would really like to see weather sealing on the XXD series, but alas, it'll have to wait. The 30D now topples the 20D with more fine tuned features than before, but with a little bit of searching, you can find the 20D at a great price on par with the XTi (which I would definitely choose the 20D over the XTi). A nice upgrade over the XT or now a great second body for those who have something better.

jcsoniat

Registered: November 2006Posts: 7

Canon EOS 20D review by jcsoniat

Review Date: 1/1/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $1,250.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Fast Performace, Beatiful Images, Heavy Duty

Cons:

No AF Assist Light

I Love this camera. Very responsive and it takes beautiful images. I dropped it on concrete the first day I used it, and it still works great a year later. No service needed.

My only big complaint is the lack of an AF Assist lamp. It uses the pop-up flash, which does an ample job of blinding your subject with multiple quick pops, so when you take the picture, they look all dazed! No camera is perfect, eh? I want to try and mount some kind of cheap LED light to my hotshoe to see if it would work like the AF lamps on the EX flashes.

Overall, a great main camera, or even as a backup, or converted for IR use.

Matthew Saville

Registered: December 2006Posts: 21

Canon EOS 20D review by Matthew Saville

Review Date: 12/29/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 10

Pros:

affordability, speed, high ISO performance

Cons:

control layout (but that's personal)

I think that right now the 20D is the perfect Canon DSLR to buy. Why? It's a generation old, which means you can buy one for very cheap on KEH or Ebay, but it's almost as god as the newest generation, and just as good where it counts- FPS and high ISO performance.

Contrary to what Canon would have you believe, the MAJORITY of their brand's stellar high ISO prformance does not come from using an FF chip, it comes from their amazing CMOS technology. 5D etc. owners, don't yell at me, just go perform your own tests. You might get about 1 stop better in high ISO performance with a 5D, but then again the 1Ds and 1DsII are actually BEHIND the 20D for high ISO performance. So I argue that the 20D is one of the best high ISO performing cameras to buy.

The 20D is very well rounded with no glaring deficiencies, and has quite a few perks, and that's about all you need to know. No other manufacturer offers a camera that can do exactly the same things ( 5 FPS for example) at the exact same price.

So, go on KEH or Ebay, and look to spend about $700 on one in good condition. (these days)

-Matt-

CronoZero

Registered: December 2006Posts: 3

Canon EOS 20D review by CronoZero

Review Date: 12/27/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 9

Pros:

Low noise, good image quality, ergonomic

Cons:

Can't take pictures unless focus is locked, no spot metering

This is my first dSLR and I was choosing between this and the Rebel XT.

This camera is fantastic...or it was at its time. I've only recently seen cameras that would've given me a hard time deciding had they been available when I bought this.

I was not a big fan of the small sizes of the Rebel line as they felt cheap and didn't work with my hands. The 20D always felt right in my hands and the image quality is great. I only notice real noise at ISO 1600, with some minor noise at ISO 800.

That being said, I don't like how the camera refuses to take a picture unless the focus is locked. When the available light is quickly diminishing and you need to take a picture right away, setting up a shot, seeing autofocus work, but being unable to capture the shot gets annoying. Also, spot metering would have been a great help in several of the shots I've taken.

By now, there are several cameras that, quite frankly, are simply better. However, if you can grab one fairly cheaply, this camera is very nice.

Zinger

Registered: October 2005Posts: 8

Canon EOS 20D review by Zinger

Review Date: 12/23/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $1,300.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Image quality, Build quality, Size, Control layout

Cons:

Smaller LCD, Lack of spot meter --> Both fixed on the 30D

Since this is a discontinued model, I won't take up too much of your time discussing pros and cons. The reality is, this is a fantastic camera.

What I do want to clarify is the issue some people are having with "no shot if focus isn't locked".

To fix this issue, simply take your lens out of AF. In MF mode, the camera will shoot whenever you press the shutter. I can't understand why you would want the camera to take an OOF shot in AF anyway. If you're going for a special focus effect, use MF.

One more clarification to a post below.... you absolutely *can* magnify during image review. The buttons with the blue magnifying glass icons in the upper right control magnification during image review.

photofanatic

Registered: December 2006Posts: 9

Canon EOS 20D review by photofanatic

Review Date: 12/16/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $1,700.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Lovely to use controls; great pictures; nice solid feel with MG body.

Cons:

Can't take picture when camera focus doesn't lock.

Superb camera. Well designed, excellent value for money. No gimmicky, unnecessary features. Full range of manual controls. Paired with good lenses, autofocus is fast and accurate. Pictures from camera look wonderful printed(I have printed to 24x30)... very clear and sharp etc. I have never had a problem with sensor dust. Although not 'weather sealed', I have had this camera in a wide variety weather conditions and never a problem. Excellent battery life. ISO 800,even ISO 3200, gives usable pictures.
However, I do have some minor issues with it(some of which was improved in the 30D).
1. Camera doesn't take a picture without focus lock. This is irritating. One should be able to depress shutter and take photo no matter what!
2. The timed shutter release is unchangeable at 10seconds. No 2s or 20s option like in other Canon cameras. This seems a bit ridiculous to me... it is a very minor change to firmware, but a huge improvement in usability.
3. No spot light meter.
4. A colour histogram would be useful.
5. When using the built in flash, camera often meters incorrectly and or focuses incorrectly.
6. The shutter is very loud... Ok, this isn't really a complaint. More an observation that if you were to use it for wildlife shooting, I think you would need to muffle the camera sound!

rrf

Registered: December 2006Posts: 4

Canon EOS 20D review by rrf

Review Date: 12/12/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 9

Pros:

Excellent high ISO performance

Cons:

Will not shoot if focus does not lock

This is a great camera. It is fantastic to be able to take usable ISO 3200 pictures. With an F2.8 lens, there is rarely a need for a flash. Battery life is great.

My main dissapointments are:
The camera will not take a picture if the focus fails to lock, even if you liked what you saw - Canon should at least allow you take the picture when you fully press the shutter, lock or no lock!!!

It would be nice to have automatic ISO compensation in RAW - this feature is available some modes, but with JPEG only - no RAW option in special scene modes - why not???

No spot metering - but the camera seems to do a good job on it's own and the over/under exposure compensation adjustment is easy to use, but sometimes that is not as good as spot metering.

This is a great camera and I am very pleased with it. The above issues are occasionly annoying, particularly because it seems like minor software changes would easily eliminate all these issues. Still I recommend teh 20D highly for anyone who needs high ISO performance. Canon, is there a software update for these minor issues?

killersnowman

Registered: October 2005Posts: 10

Canon EOS 20D review by killersnowman

Review Date: 12/9/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $1,400.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Build, IQ

Cons:

n/a

this was my second dSLR. my first was the 300D. in comparison the 20D is luxurias. the fit in my hand and heft of body feels right. the low light sensitivity is superb .

I can shoot all day on a single battery, my hand doesn't get tired, due to the very nice rubber grip. With fast lenses (2.8 or brighter) the autofocus is very fast and accurate.

5 frames per second shooting speed is a bit limited; a 3 fps option would be nice but I'm not sure I can justify upgrading to the 30d for that just yet.

None the less, it's a terrific camera. And with it being discontinued, a great camera for anyone looking for a bargain, or looking for a first serious DSLR. Highly recomended.

terryf

Registered: December 2006Posts: 10

Canon EOS 20D review by terryf

Review Date: 12/4/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $1,500.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Good combination of image quality, features and price.

Cons:

The 1.6x crop factor., MLU buried in menu.

I upgraded to the 20D from a D60. There were visible improvements in image quality and focus speed and accuracy but they were not what I would call substantial. I did get a good price when I sold the D60 so I do not regret my upgrade at all. However, when I do my next upgrade, probably next year, I will probably move to a FF camera and keep the 20D both as a backup and for use with a tele lens where he 1.6 crop is helpful. I generally keep the 20D set to ISO400 and always shoot in RAW. Under these conditions I do not experience any problems with noise and the higher shutter speeds (compared to ISO100 and 200) make this the optimal setup for me. I have been very happy with the image quality out of my 20D. I am able to do some cropping and still make an excellent quality 13x19 inch print on my Epson 2400. The ergonomics of the camera are also nice - a good fit with my hands. One thing that I do not like is the cumbersome process for mirror lock up when I am shooting from a tripod and want maximum sharpness. I believe that this is a problem with all Canon DSLRs.

dimfinder

Registered: November 2006Posts: 5

Canon EOS 20D review by dimfinder

Review Date: 11/26/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $1,500.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

Great image quality, solid build, responsive, good battery life

Cons:

Blurry rear LCD, no ISO in viewfinder, no spot metering

I've been using a 20D for 18 months and I would recommend a used 20D over any of the Rebel models, including the XTi. Here's why:
1. The viewfinder is bigger, you can really see what you are photographing
2. It has a rear control wheel for much improved ergonomics
3. It's better built, totally metal
4. It has more mass and balances better with heavier lenses
5. It has a PC sync terminal for off-camera flash
6. The difference between 8Mp and 10Mp is not significant

It's a very good camera capable of producing very fine images, but there are a few things that I would like improved:
1. The rear LCD is blurry, making it difficult to judge correct focus
2. Needs a real spot metering in place of the partial metering
3. It doesn't show ISO in the viewfinder, even when you are changing it
4. Mirror lock-up should have a dedicated control
5. It should allow magnification during image review

Other smaller issues come to mind, but overall it's a great camera.

awalker

Registered: November 2006Posts: 6

Canon EOS 20D review by awalker

Review Date: 11/25/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $1,250.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

Great handling, superb image quality, good build, quality-feel

Cons:

None if you pick up a sencond hand bargain!

OK, it's yesterday's model, 'only' 8MP, 'small' LCD monitor and lacks some 'features' of the 30D or 400D. I bought it new, and it is still a better camera than I am a photographer - a 'better' camera simply would not make me take any better pictures than I currently can.

This is a classic - handling is superb, very responsive, intuitive controls.

If you can pick up a second hand unit from an upgrade-junkie (lots out there), you won't regret it!

theoak

Registered: November 2006Posts: 7

Canon EOS 20D review by theoak

Review Date: 11/20/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 9

Pros:

Great for serious hobbyists.

Cons:

1.6x, small screen

I am a "serious hobbyist" photographer.

This camera (and its replacement the 30D) sits between the Rebel, which is more of a consumer camera, and the full frame "pro" cameras like the 5D and 1D-series.

The features of the 20D and 30D are similar in kind to the pro cameras, though turned down slightly, but it also shares some features with the consumer cameras; it features the now common "shooting modes" which many pro cameras do not. Though camera software is a lot more user-friendly than the 1D-series whose software is mired in legacy design since they've been around for so long.

Its hardware controls are also laid out like the pro cameras, where the consumer cameras are laid out counter-inuitively for anyone who has used a digital or film SLR before.

It is a very versatile camera. Image quality is decent and ISO can be kicked up to 3200. The "custom functions" support a range of handy functions like mirror lockup and 2nd curtain flash ("slow sync"). As a result I have found the camera great for growing into as I learn what it takes to get the picture I want.

A bit of advice: buy a grip and extra battery right away. This will help you when shooting vertically (and to remember to shoot vertically). It also helps you get a better grip on the camera if you have big hands like I do.

pz

Registered: October 2005Posts: 8

Canon EOS 20D review by pz

Review Date: 11/17/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 8

Pros:

picture quality, construction quality

Cons:

not very ergonomic

It was my third camera body. I was very satisfied with it in all aspects. It was upgraded to a 5D, so I am really inobjective now to write about it, sorry...

Jarrad_Kevin

Registered: November 2006Posts: 11

Canon EOS 20D review by Jarrad_Kevin

Review Date: 11/15/2006

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $1,600.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

High Resolution, 5fps, Excellent ISO performance

Cons:

No Spot meter, no ISO in the viewfinder, no MLU button

This is a very capable body. More than enough resolution for most situations. Highly responsive. Exceptional ISO performance.

The main problem I have with this body is it's metering system. I find that it underexposes in each of it's metering modes; anywhere from 1/2 to 2 full stops, depending on the mode. I find myself in Manual Mode 99% of the time. Oddly enough, when used with a speedlite, the exposure becomes quite accurate. Go figure.

And some minor gripes that have been addressed in other, newer Canon Bodies. Given the price difference I'd just go directly for the 30D if I were buy new right now.

softreq

Registered: October 2005Posts: 5

Canon EOS 20D review by softreq

Review Date: 10/28/2005

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $1,450.00| Rating: 10

The 20D is quick and feels right in the hand. 5 frames per second and quick quto-focus are great for action ... and everyday life. The ISO800 and 1600 images are remarkable. The viewfinder is smallish, but acceptable (Pentax has the nicest viewfinders in this price range). Flash work with the internal, and external e-TTL II flashes tends to conservatively lean towards underexposure (but is it to correct for).

I shot with both a Nikon D70 and a 20D before choosing. From the Nikon, I miss the grid finder, and especially the brilliant AUTO ISO feature. Nikon's mid-zoom options for dSLR's are far better than Canon's. Nikon has one dSLR sensor size and has developed 3 very good mid zooms at various price points. Canon currently supports THREE different dSLR sensor sizes and their mid-zoom selection is disappointing.

andrewc

Registered: October 2005Posts: 3

Canon EOS 20D review by andrewc

Review Date: 10/22/2005

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $1,599.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

sturdy metal body, very responsive, superb image quality, low noise at high ISO, flash exposure is accurate, with 2.8 and faster lenses the AF is fast and accurate

I have had my 20D for a little over a year, and I love it more now than I did then. I love the responsiveness of the shutter and short mirror blackout as well as the instant start-up/wake-up. With a 70-200 2.8IS attached it's the perfect set-up thanks to quick and accurate autofocus and excellent metering. I think the image quality is superb, with high ISOs being impressively useable. I don't like how the vertical grip feels cheap and doesn't feel as securely attached as I'd like. I also don't fully understand why there is no true spotmeter in this camera, especially considering the targetted consumer group of pros and serious enthusiasts. Overall though, the camera feels very good in hand, not as good as my 1v, but very good still. I would actually rate this camera a 9.5 if the rating scale allowed it. I highly recommend this camera--it's one I will have for some time.